Conventionally, a known technology connects a mobile phone (hereinafter referred to as a touch-panel mobile phone) using a touch panel for manipulatory input with a vehicular apparatus having a touch panel and displays a screen image of the touch-panel mobile phone on a touch panel (hereinafter referred to as a vehicular touch panel) of the vehicular apparatus. As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, for example, a vehicular apparatus receives image data displayed on the screen of the touch-panel mobile phone. Based on the received image data, the screen of the vehicular touch panel displays an image similar to that displayed on the touch-panel mobile phone. Furthermore, as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a user may manipulate information displayed on the vehicular touch panel. In such a case, coordinates corresponding to the manipulated position on the vehicular touch panel are converted into coordinates on the touch panel of the touch-panel mobile phone. The converted coordinates are transmitted to the touch-panel mobile phone.
As another example, the terminal mode standard, later renamed as MirrorLink (registered trademark), is known as a technology that allows the screen image of the touch-panel mobile phone to be displayed on the vehicular touch panel without installing an application program (hereinafter referred to as an application) for the touch-panel mobile phone and enables manipulation onto the vehicular touch panel to control manipulation onto the touch-panel mobile phone. The terminal mode is an example of the technology concerned and is used as a generic name of the technology in this specification.
The terminal mode allows the vehicular apparatus to be used only as a screen display portion and a manipulation portion for the touch-panel mobile phone. Therefore, an application for the touch-panel mobile phone need not be installed on the vehicular apparatus. Basically, the touch-panel mobile phone transmits only pixel-based color information (hereinafter referred to as pixel information) to the vehicular apparatus. The terminal mode enables the vehicular apparatus to use touch-panel mobile phone functions without installing touch-panel mobile phone applications on the vehicular apparatus. This can reduce processing loads on the vehicular apparatus.
A conventionally known onboard handsfree system connects a mobile phone with a vehicular apparatus such as an onboard navigation system having a handsfree function and enables mobile phone call using a speaker and a microphone of the vehicular apparatus. If a phone call start button is manipulated on the mobile phone, the onboard handsfree system starts the phone call using a speaker and a microphone of the mobile phone. For example, the vehicular touch panel may be manipulated to manipulate the phone call start button on the vehicular apparatus. In such a case, the speaker and the microphone of the vehicular apparatus are generally used to start a handsfree phone call.
However, conventional technologies make it difficult to provide an onboard handsfree system of the related art while using the terminal mode. The reason is described in detail below. Suppose that the terminal mode is used to display a screen image of the touch-panel mobile phone on a screen of the vehicular touch panel. In such a case, the screen of the vehicular touch panel just displays a phone call start button simulating a phone call start button on the screen of the touch-panel mobile phone. Manipulating the phone call start button displayed on the screen of the vehicular touch panel performs a process to start a mobile phone call on the assumption that the phone call start button is manipulated on the touch-panel mobile phone. The handsfree phone call cannot start.
It is also difficult to start a handsfree phone call according as the vehicular apparatus detects manipulation of the phone call start button displayed on the screen of the vehicular touch panel. More specifically, the terminal mode basically allows the touch-panel mobile phone to transmit only pixel information to the vehicular apparatus. It is difficult for the vehicular apparatus to determine whether the phone call start button is displayed on the screen. This makes it difficult to detect manipulation of the phone call start button.